Writing Is Rewriting by Christie: The Script Polisher

Writing Is Rewriting by Christie: The Script Polisher

Writing is all about rewriting. The process to get your screenplay ready for the marketplace will include taking it through multiple drafts. The daunting task of knowing what to “rewrite” follows a period of allowing your screenplay to rest for a minute. Yes, take a step back and let it marinate. During this time go have fun, live a little, reconnect with family and friends you had to put on the back burner while you worked on your masterpiece. Once you feel refreshed put new eyes on your screenplay.

Writers are often admonished not to share it with close family and friends, because they are often overjoyed you even wrote a script; so recruiting a trusted friend or colleague who has a “thing” for movies and storytelling is the best route. You want someone who will be honest, even brutally honest about your storytelling acumen. When it’s time to receive the feedback…take a deep breathe and listen closely with your head and heart. Writing, in any medium is subjective, and your story is YOUR story, yet allowing another person with no prior knowledge of your story to provide feedback is your first experience of having an audience…so BE receptive. Allow yourself to “see” your script from their point of view, process their information, filter out things which would take your story off its axis, then incorporate the good ideas and suggestions which will take your story to the next level.

After you take another good go at rewriting your screenplay, repeat the process of re-reading and rewriting until you can’t stand it anymore. When you enter the “I’m tired of my own story” zone, it’s likely the perfect time to allow someone within the film industry to read your latest draft. Now a word of caution…do not, I repeat, do not harass anyone about reading your material. It could put a bad taste in their mouth about you and the value of your work. God forbid, they relent and read it … the odds of them “liking it” may have been greatly diminished and their feedback may be lackluster.

A better pool of readers maybe a within a writers’ group, a college professor, or local filmmaker with a reputation for putting out good work. These are great resources for chiseling your story into a masterpiece, most times, at no cost to you. If you desire another professional take, and have money to invest, research script consultants in your area or online. When selecting a script consultant, consider financial cost, film industry experience, genre preferences, and feedback response time.

I personally would factor in, after preliminary conversations, if we “click” and have a good vibe. This is very important to me, because in sharing my work I am baring my soul to them. Yes, I’d pick a script consultant like I pick my close friends or therapist…very carefully. If you don’t vibe with them on an organic level, even though they assisted with a truckload of award-winning scripts, I’d strongly suggest to keep looking. However, whatever pathway you choose for your rewriting journey, it should ultimately lead to a well-told, well-crafted story the world deserves to hear and see.

Alrighty y’all, I gotta get back to my writing and film endeavors … but before I go, I wish you a divine flow of creative energy and endless courage to write authentic stories from your soul. If you’re interested in having me help you along your writer’s journey, click Christie: The Script Polisher